About me:

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Welcome to Gonzo Dog! Or what I refer to as “The Cute and Complicated Club.” Because our dogs are cute, but cute is not the same thing as trained or prepared to thrive in a human world.

 

Are you ready to stop spending countless hours scouring the internet for conflicting (often incorrect; hint: dominance theory is false) information and replace the stress and embarrassment of your dog's behavioral issues with confidence, communication and understanding? Are you ready to enjoy life with your dog to the fullest?!

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Science-based, rewards-based training is a wonderful way to bond with your dog and learn how to replace behavior you don't want to see with behavior you do – which in turn makes everyone’s life easier.  

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I was the lifelong guardian of a highly anxious/reactive dog in a large, trigger-filled city - just like many of you! Learning to work with my dog using positive reinforcement and force-free methods instilled a deep understanding and empathy for both dogs and their humans that led me to my career over the past decade as an insured CPDT-KA certified trainer and behavioral consultant. I know what makes dogs tick; I know the gaps that lie in our communication with them as humans, and I know how to teach all of this with fun, humor, compassion, and results!

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I specialize in behavioral issues such as anxiety, fear, fear-based aggression, stranger danger issues, separation anxiety, resource guarding and urban/leash reactivity. I do this without the use of aversive tools (such as prong collars, choke chains, shock collars, etc.) as I have learned from experience these are temporary "fixes" that eventually make things worse. Those things suppress behavior - we're going to change it.

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You're about to make a lifetime investment:

I’m going to teach you how to train your dog.

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• communicate with your dog in a way they can understand

• learn to read their body language

• create healthy boundaries to get you unstuck

• build their confidence and communication 

• learn skills that you can use to teach them nearly anything

• gain professional outside perspective on behavioral issues/modification   

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Contact me today to set up a consultation and let me know what I can do to build a more harmonious relationship between you and your dog!